If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

My Redsfest report

Short and concise and badly written, as always with me

When I first got there Wayne Krivsky was doing an interview with Tom Gamble for 700 WLW. For some reason the volume was low and NOBODY was around. My brother went up in the break and nobody was around Wayne. He asked "how comfortable are you with the defense up the middle, in the outfield? He said we got a few options out there and we think they are both capable. I jumped in and got to the point. "We can't be the best team we are capable of with Griffey Jr playing such an important position that weakly. Wayne said "You gotta ask Jerry about that, he fills out the lineup card and I have to respect his decisions." I said well then is the best option bringing in another CF and forcing Griffey into a corner position with a trade. He smiled and was like "that's something I can't get into, but does that answer your question anyway?

I next went into the autograph line for Jerry Narron and asked him how he feels about his defense up the middle. He said it was good. I asked him if Griffey was a good enough CF on a winning team. He gave me a really sly look and said "what do you think? I was like honestly no, but you are the one filling out the lineup card." He laughed and said "I agree with you, stay tuned."

I was totally stunned by how nice Jerry was and how honest he was. I'm excited about his answers also.

I hope I don't offend anyone with me making Redsfest a business trip

Oh yeah ,I also got George Grande to sign a baseball with "HE GOT IT!!!"

Re: My Redsfest report

Hey Cedric:

If you can ask these questions why can't the beat reporters? You got a straight answer as well. The print reporters that cover the Reds have no testicles. They want to be "liked" in the locker room, they want to hag out during batting practice, and feel like one of the fella's, and will not address the huge pink elephant in the room which is Jr.'s lost defensive skills. Thank-you. Can I help you get a press pass?

Re: My Redsfest report

Cedric doesnt have to look Griffey in his face after asking that question. Cedric isnt having his question read by thousands and thousands.

Still, nice job asking Cedric. How was the rest of Redsfest?

If you cannot ask the obvious questions, you have no business being a news reporter. Tim Russart on "Meet the Press" every sunday has no problem asking politicians hard questions that need answers, face to face. If you won't ask the hard questions, you are basically working for the Reds an not the paper that is paying you. It won't get you invited to team cocktail parties, but they will respect you and won't consider you a patsy.

Re: My Redsfest report

Originally Posted by George Foster

If you cannot ask the obvious questions, you have no business being a news reporter. Tim Russart on "Meet the Press" every sunday has no problem asking politicians hard questions that need answers, face to face. If you won't ask the hard questions, you are basically working for the Reds an not the paper that is paying you. It won't get you invited to team cocktail parties, but they will respect you and won't consider you a patsy.

Was the crowds that bad Cedric? Was it organized?

That may mostly be true, but I have heard several stories of people getting roughed up a little for some things they have said and or written about players... not even by the players. Just making the other side of the arguement.

Re: My Redsfest report

Originally Posted by dougdirt

That may mostly be true, but I have heard several stories of people getting roughed up a little for some things they have said and or written about players... not even by the players. Just making the other side of the arguement.

I agree with you, it would be tough, however asking about the center field defense is different than asking Jerry if he wished he did not have Griffey on the team or asking K if he wished he was not ancored with Griffey's contract. Those are "out of bounds" questions that are only asked to cause trouble or get you on sportscenter. I see your point.

Re: My Redsfest report

Originally Posted by cincy09

Cedric, great insight.

Wonder if they're just paying lip service to make YOU happy, or are they really trying to solve the problem?

I know political talk and I know real people. Jerry was really honest and I was honestly stunned that he gave me the time of day. I think he might have been used to the same dumb questions and people pumping sunshine up his butt all night.

If he wanted to be PC he would have just said that Griffey could handle the position still and that if not we have other options. He totally didn't do that.

Re: My Redsfest report

Cedric doesnt have to look Griffey in his face after asking that question. Cedric isnt having his question read by thousands and thousands.

Still, nice job asking Cedric. How was the rest of Redsfest?

I LOVE Ken Griffey Jr and I hate even having to ask what I asked. That's why I hope I didn't offend anyone with bringing up this thread. I honestly just want what is best for this team and I hope somehow every little bit of information these guys hear matters.

I'm not unrealistic either though. I realize they get opinions and questions like that all the time. I just worded the questions so that they could give me honest answers and not have to throw a hall of famer like Jr. under the bus.

I forgot to also mention how well run this years event was. The staff and the players were all incredibly nice and well spoken. I also got to speak to Eric Davis and see that HUGE 1990 ring on his hand ha.

Re: My Redsfest report

Originally Posted by Cedric

When I first got there Wayne Krivsky was doing an interview with Tom Gamble for 700 WLW. For some reason the volume was low and NOBODY was around.

I was there I loved what he said about Homer Bailey, very wise...on the question of whether he'll be brought up next season, Krivsky said that Homer dictated that, but then he said something very bright: that one of the reasons they've been holding out on him is because once Homer's up, he's up. The last thing they want to do is bring him up and then send him back down. He used Brandon Phillips as the example of someone who was very unhappy once he was sent back down to the minors in Cleveland, the worst time of his career. I for one think this is smart. They are waiting until they are sure he is ready, and once he is promoted, Bailey (and we fans) can have full confidence that he is major-league ready.

Re: My Redsfest report

Originally Posted by Cedric

I next went into the autograph line for Jerry Narron and asked him how he feels about his defense up the middle. He said it was good. I asked him if Griffey was a good enough CF on a winning team. He gave me a really sly look and said "what do you think? I was like honestly no, but you are the one filling out the lineup card." He laughed and said "I agree with you, stay tuned."

I keep reading this over and over just to make sure I am understanding it correctly. Maybe we aren't giving Narron and company enough credit because the way I understand that statement, they recognize the problem also. That's at least half the battle.

Re: My Redsfest report

Good questions, Cedric, and I hope much of what you were told and what was implied actually comes to fruition next season. Replacing Griffey with a very capable or outstanding defensive center fielder - Deno comes to mind - would be a massive step for further improving the team's defense.

You're definitely right about George Grande too. While many don't care for George Grande's announcing style, myself included, it's imperative to note that he's an exceptionally nice guy.

Re: My Redsfest report

My report, in incongruous tidbits:

1. First and foremost to anyone going on Saturday: word to the wise, Redsfest IS NOT at Great American Ballpark. When you pull up and wonder why nobody's there, that's your reason. And when you've walked a ways and you think, man, this is REALLY strange, and it hits you that Redsfest is not, in fact, at the ballpark, then you may feel very stupid in wondering, where did you think they were going to hold it exactly? On the field, in 20-degree weather? In the clubhouse? In the administrative offices? It's purely hypothetical, I'm just looking out for you kids. Redsfest is at the CONVENTION CENTER.

2. The fashion show. OMG. The fashion show was almost the main reason I went. I was excited about the uniforms but also extremely curious about what a fashion show at a baseball convention might entail. You guys have been to high-end professional fashion shows, right? Ok, me neither, but we all know that fashion shows involve a runway, fast-walking people, exciting music, and interesting clothes. Things fashion shows DO NOT involve include:

1. narration
2. songs that end, leaving the model to walk in silence, and then are backed up a few bars for extra music
3. poorly-constructed props
4. one model who graduated from the "sweater acting" school, ie. if you pull your sleeves over your hands you're clearly going to look demure and 14 and absolutely riconkulous (note: when her sleeves were taken away fromm her, she improved greatly, as she did in the evening gown portion. As most people do improve in evening gowns, I suppose.)
5. velour pantsuits. Velour ANYTHING.
6. Mr. Red

So the fashion show was sponsored by Macy's. Fine. You know they're going to throw promotion in there. Streetwear, even. And believe me, there may not have been a person in that audience who loves seeing evening gowns more than I do. But this was basically a Macy's fashion show, with your typical boring department store clothes, with a woman off to the side TELLING US WHAT'S IN FASHION THIS SEASON. UNACCAPTABLE. Gee, I never would have known that "black is the new black" if Macy's rep hadn't told me. Seriously, Macy's. Fashion magazines are for words. Fashion shows are for visuals. Anyone who knows that black is a great fashion color already knows it, and the best place to teach the rest of them is not at a BASEBALL CONVENTION. And lighting! There was no real lighting! It's a convention, people. Scrounge up some money to rent a few lights from the local theater warehouse and hire a few college kids to hang them up. It's easy! I swear, my cousins and I were putting together more professional fashion shows in the backyard with soundtrack by Madonna in 1986.

I envisioned a beautiful Reds fashion show, with awesome music (and I totally prepared a splendiferous mix of runway-worthy high-energy baseball-themed songs Wednesday night, I did), and clever clothing. Bring the girl out in her streetwear, but put her in high socks. Fashion a dude's outfits around cleats, a little wacky and fun. Hire a couple of actors and actresses and bring in a little fake baseball game action to go with the music (miming a pitcher's throw, have a little pickle action.) Instead of having everyone in the eveningwear section carrying the same dumb present with a red bow, have them come out with clever little Reds-themed gifts (fun AND promotional). People would have eaten it up. As it was I was appalled. Will mankind never learn that two of its greatest creations, baseball and beautiful clothes, do not have to live independently of one another.

The models did a nice job, and one of them was wearing awesome red stiletto ankle boots that I will be coveting from now until I'm rich. And the uniform section (covered elsewhere) was awesome. The cheerleaders did a nice job, but I swear to God I've heard that freaking song at every sporting event I've been to since junior high (dah dah dah dah dah dah - HEY! - dah dah dah dah). Who is picking these people's music? And can this person hear? Oh, and also, a couple of players' wives (Mrs. Valentin -- wife of catcher Xavier Valentin (yes, the narrator was skilled in other ways too) and Mrs. Coffey -- very well-done) and kids (a front office guy's daughter and Valentin's kid, actually named Xavier, who is the cutest. kid. ever.)

3. Krivksy strikes me as a good guy. He speaks the way he comes across in the papers, mostly -- very straightforward -- but a little more genuine. He answers questions as fully as I think he can.

4. I fell in love with Brandon Phillips at Redsfest. Every time I saw him he was grinning or high-fiving some toddler. Awes.

5. Reds fans still love, love, love Eric Davis. And Chris Sabo.

6. At one point, I plowed right into somebody. Who, you ask? Well, appropriately in a sense, it was Ryan Freel. I swear he came out of nowhere. I was glancing over at the Eric Davis Foundation table for the 211th obsessive time while walking towards the front, and bam, I hit him pretty hard. I said oh I'm sorry and he glanced over and smiled and that's when I realized who it was (as if the brand-new uniform with those distinct "Freel" letters on the back wasn't enough). Dude is short. I just looked at the Reds website and he's listed as 5'10". There is NO WAY that Ryan Freel is 5'10". There is a possibility he is almost four inches shorter than that. He is shorter than I am. but it was just so appropriate, of all people, that I would slam into Ryan Freel. I usually have a pretty good sense of space, but I walk pretty fast, and well, we know that he does too.

7. I loved the Hall of Fame section. Those of you going tomorrow, please try to duck in there even if you have kids. They have a map with all the minor league teams listed (though looking, I really don't think it's ALL minor league teams; I thought I noticed some omissions). They also have a trivia game at times which the kids will like. But the pieces of exhibits they have there are great. The 75, 76, and 90 trophies of course, but a bit of the beisbol exhibit, a bit of the Women in baseball exhibit, and QUITE a lot from the Negro Leagues. The first time I was in there I couldn't get a good look at it because Mario Soto and Tommy Helms were in there doing autographs and there were a lot of people in line. So I went back right before I left because I noticed it was almost empty and I got to really look at the Negro League stuff. The jerseys are amazing, and they do a good job with the little tidbits of individual biographies they have (which are quite a few). But the photos are the best part. Along the side wall they have a beautiful, huge picture of the Grays, and it's just downright moving, a beautiful picture like any baseball dugout picture, but there's so much in their faces, and then you think about where they were and why they were there. But they were still playing. I teared up looking at it. But for me, crying only once in four hours surrounded by baseball crap is very good. (I almost cried at that fashion show, but those were tears of a different kind.) Please go see this stuff if you go. It is awesome.

I have more pictures and I'll post some (the ones I didn't totally botch) tomorrow if anybody wants. But here are these two anyway:

Josh Gibson is one of my favorite baseball players of all time, but in this picture it's Dave Hoskins (in the middle) who really kills me. It's like he has the entire world in his face. Or something. Only you can see it better in person.

Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.

Thank you, and most
importantly, enjoy yourselves!

RedsZone.com is a privately owned website and is not affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds or Major League Baseball